Foreign Body Ingestion in Children: From a Harmless Incident to a Life-Threatening Emergency

Accidental foreign body ingestion is a common and often harmless event in childhood, especially among very young children, who naturally explore their surroundings by putting objects in their mouths. However, certain objects (button batteries, magnets, sharp objects), once ingested, pose a risk of complications, sometimes potentially life-threatening. Awareness of this risk is particularly important, as their removal must be performed as soon as possible in a specialized center. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of the most recent data on the epidemiology, clinical and imaging diagnosis, and particularly the therapeutic approach to foreign body ingestion in children. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to identify the most relevant evidence in this field, aiming to analyze situations in which foreign body ingestion constitutes an emergency and to present the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approach in specific cases. The degree of urgency is determined by the type of ingested object, its location in the digestive tract, and symptoms suggestive of complications; these situations are analyzed and described in detail to serve as a useful guide in medical practice. Preventive measures are important in avoiding these life-threatening situations, and therefore, parents and caregivers must be informed and take steps to prevent children from accessing dangerous objects.